What We Are Reading

John Kerry on Climate Change: The Fight of Our TimeJeff Goodell / Rolling StoneOn a rainy day in mid-November, Secretary of State John Kerry stood on the bridge of the USS San Antonio, a state-of-the-art ship designed to deliver up to 800 Marines ashore via helicopters and landing craft. From the bridge, Kerry had a commanding view of Naval Station Norfolk, the largest naval base in the world: aircraft carriers to the left, battleships to the right, a panorama of military power – and one that is rapidly sinking beneath the rising waters of Chesapeake Bay.

The next battleground in the U.S.-China power strugglePeter Marino / ReutersGreat-power struggles often play out in proxy conflicts, hot or cold. And the intensifying rivalry between China and the United States is no different. Recently, this rivalry has begun to play out in India, in Latin America and very prominently, in Southeast Asia, which remains a crossroads of global trade and a critical focus of maritime security

Asymmetric Operations

Terrorism Science: 5 Insights into Jihad in EuropeDeclan Butler / Scientific AmericanIn the wake of the terrorist attacks in Paris on November 13 that left 130 dead and more than 350 wounded, Alain Fuchs, president of the French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS), announced a fresh call for proposals for research on terrorism. Acknowledging that any effort with no immediate effect may seem “derisory”, Fuchs said that science can help to open up avenues of analysis.

Scientists Worried Over Latest Sign of Rapid Change in the OceansTakePart.com
A population boom among the ocean’s smallest organisms is the latest evidence that greenhouse gas emissions may be upsetting the balance of the world’s oceans. In a recent study published in the journal Science, researchers report that there was a tenfold increase in the occurrence of a major group of microscopic ocean plants called coccolithophores in the North Atlantic between 1965 and 2010 and that rising carbon dioxide levels are so far the most likely reason why.

Energy Security

OPEC looks set to maintain oil outputBen Perry / AFPOPEC appeared on course to maintain current oil output at a meeting here Friday rather than cut production to lift sagging crude prices.

Radiation from Japan nuclear disaster spreads off U.S. shoresCourtney Sherwood / ReutersRadiation from Japan’s 2011 nuclear disaster has spread off North American shores and contamination is increasing at previously identified sites, although levels are still too low to threaten human or ocean life, scientists said on Thursday.

Nuclear Security

Former U.S. official urges Pentagon to skip buying new ICBMsAndrea Shalal / Reuters
Former Defense Secretary William Perry on Thursday called for the Pentagon to skip replacing its aging stockpile of intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs), arguing that U.S. nuclear-armed submarines and a new long-range bomber program would provide sufficient deterrent value.

On Our Flashpoint BlogNuclear PakistanSam HickeyPakistan’s nuclear calculus has been the subject of much scrutiny because its government is unstable, its population is volatile, and its nuclear weapons program is the fastest expanding on Earth.

Turkey Shoots Down Russian Warplane: Possible Consequences for the Turkey – Russia RelationshipSteffen WesterburgerA week ago Turkish warplanes shot down a Russian Su-24 fighter plane that according to Turkey had violated its airspace on multiple occasions. After having warned the plane without success, the Turks decided to engage. Subsequently, the plane was downed with an air-to-air-missile. The two pilots successfully ejected from their plane, and one of them was then killed by Turkmen rebels while still parachuting down. These actions can have serious consequences in the relationship between Moscow and Ankara, and can further complicate the broader conflict in Syria and the Middle East.

American Security in the Wake of the Paris Terrorist AttacksOrlando, FL. December 8 @ 6.30pmPlease mark your calendars for our next private dinner event scheduled for Tuesday, December 8, 2015, when we host Gen. Stephen Cheney, retired Brigadier General, U.S. Marine Corps, currently the Chief Executive Officer of the American Security Project and a member of the U.S. Department of State’s Foreign Affairs Policy Board and the U.S. Department of State’s International Security Advisory Board. The title of Gen. Cheney’s presentation is “American Security in the Wake of the Paris Terrorist Attacks.”Department of Defense Action on Climate ChangeDecember 11 @ 12:00pm – 1:30pm
On Friday, December 11, ASP will host Maureen Sullivan, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Environment, Safety & Occupational Health. Two members of ASP’s Board of Directors, Vice Admiral Lee Gunn, USN (Ret.) and BGen Stephen Cheney, USMC (Ret.) will also report on what they have learned as a part of ASP’s national climate security tour, and how important the DoD’s efforts on climate change are for national climate preparedness.

Hill Briefing: Understanding What’s Next in Fusion EnergyDecember 15 @ 12:00pm – 1:30pm
Leading experts in fusion from the public and private sector will discuss the new developments that have been featured over the last several months in major media outlets like Time Magazine, the New York Times, Science, and Nature. ASP is the leading think tank detailing a plan for the future of fusion.
ASP Recently Published

Perspective – Alleviating the Resource CurseAmerican Security ProjectThe goal is to increase transparency and provide the public with greater access to information related to the payments that U.S.-listed companies make to foreign governments to extract oil, gas, and mineral resources. The rulemaking has been delayed by lawsuits and SEC inaction. But now the SEC has an opportunity to put in place a policy for disclosure that is accessible and effective.